Chancellor delays state of the system speech, citing recovery

Back to work

Posted: Thursday, January 13, 2005

By Jennifer Moorejennifer.e.moore@onlineathens.com

University System Chancellor Thomas Meredith officially was back at work this week, but he was not quite recovered enough from a November car wreck to give his scheduled state of the system address. He postponed the speech until February.

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The state of the system address generally is about 45 minutes long, and state Board of Regents spokeswoman Arlethia Perry-Johnson said Meredith "was not really comfortable with his stamina level for the speech."

Meredith is recovering from a serious car wreck in November, and wore an arm brace and supportive boot during Wednesday's regents meeting.

Meredith shattered his left elbow, broke three ribs and injured his ankle in the head-on collision in South Carolina, and his wife, Susan, suffered extensive internal injuries. Both continue to recover and undergo therapy.

Besides not feeling physically ready to deliver the annual report, Perry-Johnson said, Meredith wanted a few more weeks to prepare since he spent much of the holidays recovering.

Meredith did give some short remarks to the regents Wednesday, first thanking everyone for the outpouring of support he received after the wreck.

"It was literally overwhelming for us," he said, "The best gift we received ... was the gift of caring and concern."

Meredith said someone had asked him if, because the accident was such a close call, he had seen "a bright light."

No, he replied.

"I guess that means either it wasn't a close call or I'm not going to see a bright light," he joked.

Meredith also addressed recent allegations that private companies have gained favor with the university system by donating money to the University System of Georgia Foundation.

"Absolutely not," he said.

Private donations historically have been an important funding source for the university system, Meredith said, but there hasn't been any impropriety.

Meredith will give his state of the system address Feb. 2, the second day of next month's regents meeting.